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Air India Flight 182 victims remembered across Canada, Ireland
Victims' relatives renewed calls for education, accountability and remembrance.
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Ankita Baidya - Tue, 07, Jul 2026
- 04:58 EDT
- 25
Families, officials and community members gathered to honour victims of Air India Flight 182. / X/@CoHNACanada
Families of victims, community members and government officials gathered at memorial services in Canada and Ahakista, Ireland, to mark the 41st anniversary of the bombing of Air India Flight 182, according to a post shared by CoHNA Canada on X.
The ceremonies commemorated the 329 people killed when Air India Flight 182, also known as Kanishka, was bombed on June 23, 1985, in what is widely regarded as Canada's deadliest terrorist attack.
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Nisha Thampi, who lost her mother, Vijaya Thampi, in the bombing, said her father later married Jayshree, who had also lost her husband, Babu, and daughter, Preeti Lakshmanan, in the attack. Speaking in the video, Thampi said she now attends the annual memorial with her own children so they understand the tragedy as part of both their family history and Canadian history.
Surulapati Lakshmi Narayana said he and his wife, Padmini, lost their two sons, ages 14 and 11, who were traveling to India to visit their grandparents. The family had immigrated to Canada in 1982. He said one son's body was recovered and buried in India, while the other has never been found. The couple has returned to the memorial every year since the bombing, although they now spend one week annually in Ahakista.
Another family member, who said he was orphaned at 17 after losing his parents and younger sister, urged the Canadian government to implement recommendations from the John Major Inquiry that he said remain outstanding. He also called for the establishment of a memorial center focused on counterterrorism education and for the bombing to be included in Canadian school curricula.
Two weeks ago, on the 41st anniversary of the Kanishka bombings, our members joined the memorial services from coast to coast in Canada and in Ahakista (Ireland), to mourn and remember 331 innocent lives lost in Canada's worst terror attack to date.
— CoHNA Canada (@CoHNACanada) July 7, 2026
Watch this 12-minute video… pic.twitter.com/Cc28VD1Yjr
A Canadian government representative described it as her second visit to the memorial, calling it an honor to represent Canada and saying the annual gathering serves as a reminder of resilience amid growing global divisions.
Residents of Ahakista also reflected on the lasting impact the bombing had on their community and their continued role in maintaining the memorial site.
One speaker alleged that individuals linked to the Khalistan movement attended a separate memorial event at Queen's Park earlier the same day, describing their presence as "unfortunate" and characterizing Khalistan-related activity as a domestic security concern in Canada.
According to CoHNA Canada, the commemorations brought together victims' families, community leaders, elected representatives and residents of Ahakista to honor those who lost their lives.
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